Meaning & use

statute

noun·Advanced

A written law formally enacted by a legislative body.

See it in a sentence

The new statute requires all restaurants to display calorie counts.

Lawyers argued over how the statute should be interpreted in court.

A note on using this word

A statute is written and formally passed by a legislature, unlike common law, which develops from court decisions.

Words with a similar meaning

lawact

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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